The South Australian Political Landscape

[Gozu]

Speaking of InDaily did not like the news that their owners Solstice Media have just won a contract from the state govt to start doing spruced up press releases for them.

NEWSPAPER company Solstice Media will be given almost $400,000 of taxpayer money each year by the State Government to pay journalists to write "positive" articles about business opportunities in the state.

Brand SA chief executive Karen Raffen said the initial $500,000 outlay for setup costs would be followed by a $390,000 contract each year.

Solstice Media operates the online news site InDaily, and will be contracted to develop a small "content creation team''.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sout ... 6778248057

[Jimmy_041]

Can't wait to hear Jay today
Is he going to try to tell us GM made the decision overnight or will he actually own up to not knowing WTF is going on.
And GM blame the high $AU whereas Jay said the lower $AU was the cause.
People slam Marshall for not saying much.
Better to stay silent that confirm you have NFI like Jay - Absolute plonker

[Booney]

Can't wait to hear Jay today
Is he going to try to tell us GM made the decision overnight or will he actually own up to not knowing WTF is going on.
And GM blame the high $AU whereas Jay said the lower $AU was the cause.
People slam Marshall for not saying much.
Better to stay silent that confirm you have NFI like Jay - Absolute plonker

At least we get to decide what Weatherill is made of, Marshall is a nothing nobody who we all know was the only bloke willing to take the hot seat, knowing a knife in his back is imminent. Feel for the bloke, dead man walking. As all Liberal leaders have been....

[test]

The Libs are confident that Light, seat of Cabinet member Tony Piccolo, can be taken.
They're paying a lot of attention to the electorate.

#cosiecan

[Jimmy_041]

Can't wait to hear Jay today
Is he going to try to tell us GM made the decision overnight or will he actually own up to not knowing WTF is going on.
And GM blame the high $AU whereas Jay said the lower $AU was the cause.
People slam Marshall for not saying much.
Better to stay silent that confirm you have NFI like Jay - Absolute plonker

At least we get to decide what Weatherill is made of, Marshall is a nothing nobody who we all know was the only bloke willing to take the hot seat, knowing a knife in his back is imminent. Feel for the bloke, dead man walking. As all Liberal leaders have been....

A well thought out response there Booney

[Booney]

Can't wait to hear Jay today
Is he going to try to tell us GM made the decision overnight or will he actually own up to not knowing WTF is going on.
And GM blame the high $AU whereas Jay said the lower $AU was the cause.
People slam Marshall for not saying much.
Better to stay silent that confirm you have NFI like Jay - Absolute plonker

At least we get to decide what Weatherill is made of, Marshall is a nothing nobody who we all know was the only bloke willing to take the hot seat, knowing a knife in his back is imminent. Feel for the bloke, dead man walking. As all Liberal leaders have been....

A well thought out response there Booney

Thankyou. I'll address your comments then.

As for whether he knew what was going on or not, I doubt he would have known and there would be no shame in that. Mike Deveroux (sp) looks like someone with a very solid defence, would get the front elbow up high and play a very straight bat so I don't blame Weatherill for not really knowing where GMH stood. They'd have given nothing away.

Clearly Weatherill isn't going to attack the Unions who negotiated wages, nor is he going to rip GMH a new one, is he? As for what impact the low/high dollar has had on the process is based on the opinion of any economist who wants to comment upon. I'd say some would agree with GM, some would agree with Weatherill. What do you think?

I don't blame Marshall for saying nothing, if he opens his mouth too often he's bound to cock something up and find himself on the scrap heap with all the people who filled that role before him. Remember what happened to Redmond when she finally began to have a public presence?

Enjoy the rest of your day.

[Dogwatcher]

How well Weatherill or Marshall define a plan for the future of this state following the Holden announcement, will decide this election.
Forget all of the political discussions (not that small target Marshall has said much) of this week - that's pure theatre.

What comes next? These guys need to announce a plan and work towards it. Whoever is most convincing in that argument will win the election for their party.

I would just really, really like to see a plan that is going to keep my community, as well as this state, on its feet; not political meandering.

Both parties have known for years Holden was on the way out but neither have made any plans for that future. It's time to do that and prove that being in politics is not just about idealogical debate, but providing leadership and hope to those who have elected you.

[Dogwatcher]

Nope, nothing new here:

Presser from Libs

Marshall talks SA’s economy in Canberra

State Liberal Leader Steven Marshall has today met with Prime Minister Tony Abbott in Canberra to talk about putting South Australia’s economy back on track.
Mr Marshall also met with Deputy Liberal Leader and Foreign Affairs Minister, Julie Bishop, Federal Defence Minister, David Johnston, and Federal Industry Minister, Ian Macfarlane.
Yesterday’s announcement that Holden will cease manufacturing at its Elizabeth Plant by the end of 2017 is a devastating blow for South Australia.
After 12 years of State Labor Government, South Australia has lost Mitsubishi and it has now lost Holden.
“What South Australians need now is an economic plan to put our State’s economy back on track,” said Mr Marshall.
“Instead, all Premier Weatherill wants to do is play the blame game – it’s time Mr Weatherill stops playing politics and starts talking solutions.
“I have already committed to introducing no new taxes and levies if elected to Government next year.
“I have also committed to cutting payroll tax, to ease cost pressures for South Australian businesses.
“On the other hand, Mr Weatherill already has plans to introduce a new tax – a toxic car park tax.
“The State Liberals understand businesses are doing it tough and that South Australia is in the midst of a dangerous jobs crisis.
“Today’s unemployment data revealed South Australia’s unemployment rate increased to 6.8 per cent in November – SA has now lost 27,000 jobs since the June Budget.
“We need to be doing everything we can to be encouraging businesses to grow and employ South Australians.
“South Australians deserve a Government with better priorities to get our State back on track.”

[Psyber]

An friend in government administration (not Transport) who lives down Hallett Cove way is unhappy at present.

After all the disruption and cost of having the train lines taken up, the rail beds reinforced, and the tracks relaid, and the electrification, the trains are back but they are the old trains, and running more slowly because the new tracks apparently have less expansion joints and are likely to buckle at lower temperatures than they did previously.

Meanwhile, he tells me the new trains are laid up because they are too tall to go under the bridge at Mile End.
More money will have to be spent lowering the tracks either side of that bridge. (I wonder if the lowered section will then flood!)

I wonder why the government didn't just take up the tracks and pave the surface creating a bus-way that could have accommodated hybrid buses and saved a lot of money. Perhaps that have fantasies of more heavy industry opening up down Noarlunga way in time for the election next year?

[bennymacca]

just a comment - im not a rail engineer, but im pretty sure expansion joints havent been used on railway tracks for years, and they certainly werent used on any of the rail network in europe that i traversed a few months ago.

[Booney]

Nope, nothing new here:

Presser from Libs

Marshall talks SA’s economy in Canberra

State Liberal Leader Steven Marshall has today met with Prime Minister Tony Abbott in Canberra to talk about putting South Australia’s economy back on track.
Mr Marshall also met with Deputy Liberal Leader and Foreign Affairs Minister, Julie Bishop, Federal Defence Minister, David Johnston, and Federal Industry Minister, Ian Macfarlane.
Yesterday’s announcement that Holden will cease manufacturing at its Elizabeth Plant by the end of 2017 is a devastating blow for South Australia.
After 12 years of State Labor Government, South Australia has lost Mitsubishi and it has now lost Holden.
“What South Australians need now is an economic plan to put our State’s economy back on track,” said Mr Marshall.
“Instead, all Premier Weatherill wants to do is play the blame game – it’s time Mr Weatherill stops playing politics and starts talking solutions.
“I have already committed to introducing no new taxes and levies if elected to Government next year.
“I have also committed to cutting payroll tax, to ease cost pressures for South Australian businesses.
“On the other hand, Mr Weatherill already has plans to introduce a new tax – a toxic car park tax.
“The State Liberals understand businesses are doing it tough and that South Australia is in the midst of a dangerous jobs crisis.
“Today’s unemployment data revealed South Australia’s unemployment rate increased to 6.8 per cent in November – SA has now lost 27,000 jobs since the June Budget.
“We need to be doing everything we can to be encouraging businesses to grow and employ South Australians.
“South Australians deserve a Government with better priorities to get our State back on track.”

Why do pollies still maintain the "I've already committed to ******* ******* when I get in office", when we all know they are full of shit and unlikely to stick to that committment.

[Gozu]

From Fridays InDaily, the distinct aroma of shenanigans permeates the air:

Beware of political types bearing polls

A few curious facts about the “internal Labor” poll of the seat of Norwood – henceforth to be known as “Dunstan”.

A newspaper report – which said the polling showed Liberal leader Steven Marshall on a knife-edge against Labor opponent Jo Chapley – caused a minor nuclear explosion in Liberal offices on North Terrace, but not for the reasons you might imagine.

Here’s the thing: journalists are rarely given the complete data behind such polls, or get to read the questions posed to the electorate. As such, we should always take such data with a grain of salt (or, in some cases, a Dead Sea amount of sodium).

In this case, the poll wasn’t strictly an internal Labor poll. It was put together by an ALP-affiliated polling firm at the request of the unions.

Exactly 617 people were polled and they were asked which party would receive their vote – majors and minors – and it allegedly showed a two-party-preferred swing to Labor of 4 per cent. The Outsider is unsure whether candidates’ names were mentioned – a fact which would have significance, given Marshall’s profile.

Party polling is also happening across the state – and the news isn’t so good for Labor elsewhere (although it’s said to be “not horrific”).

The bottom line: yes, it was a big poll, but, as one sage observer noted, if Labor really thought they were going to win the seat, why would they trumpet it from the rooftops?

More likely, they want to spook the Liberals into spending more dough than they should in the seat, thus robbing resources from more needy marginal seats.

http://indaily.com.au/opinion/2013/12/2 ... essions-2/

[Psyber]

just a comment - im not a rail engineer, but im pretty sure expansion joints havent been used on railway tracks for years, and they certainly werent used on any of the rail network in europe that i traversed a few months ago.

I must admit I haven't looked at any railway tracks in recent years, but the joints where there last time I looked which I admit was some time ago.
I can see how steel tracks in Oz could be viable without such gaps.

As for not using them in Europe - a friend of mine had an imported Volvo sports car some years ago (when they made them) and found that in our summer the doors expanded in the door cavities and jammed shut.

[Gozu]

The March 2014 State election is up for grabs – and the two major party leaders have around 80 days to win it or lose it.

The latest Newspoll, published today in The Australian, shows just why the incumbent ALP government had the spring back in its step these last few weeks: it has cut the margin by which it trailed the Opposition in half.

The rolling poll – taken from October to December – shows Labor is back in the race, trailing in the two-party preferred vote 53 to 47 per cent, an improvement from the 57-43 result in the June Newspoll.

Labor won the 2010 election when Newspoll showed it trailed 52-48, close to the actual result of 51.6 to 48.4.

http://indaily.com.au/news/2013/12/24/alp-back-race/

[Jimmy_041]

Gee, Weatherill is very quiet about the truth coming out about GMH.
Mind you, he's moved on blaming the federal govt for something else now.

[bulldogproud2]

Gee, Weatherill is very quiet about the truth coming out about GMH.
Mind you, he's moved on blaming the federal govt for something else now.

Yes, although the Federal Government are too, knowing that it is their Free Trade Agreement with South Korea which killed Holden off. Well done, Abbot- NOT!!!

[Jimmy_041]

Yeah - that's what did it

But, not the point - Weatherill caught bullshitting2

[bulldogproud2]

Yeah - that's what did it

But, not the point - Weatherill caught bullshitting2

Not really. After all, Holden did say that if they had received the funding the Labor Government were promising and the Free Trade Agreement had not gone ahead, they would have stayed in South Australia. Please explain therefore how Jay was false?

Cheers

[bennymacca]

Gee, Weatherill is very quiet about the truth coming out about GMH.

link?

[Jimmy_041]

Yeah - that's what did it

But, not the point - Weatherill caught bullshitting2

Not really. After all, Holden did say that if they had received the funding the Labor Government were promising and the Free Trade Agreement had not gone ahead, they would have stayed in South Australia. Please explain therefore how Jay was false?

Cheers

Who said that?